Chiemelie Ezeobi
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) have arrested five suspected cultists allegedly involved in terrorising residents of the Apapa, Ijora and Badia areas of the state.
The arrests followed a credible intelligence-led operation that first led to the apprehension of one of the suspects, Abubakar Ayomide, 25, also known as “Garbazin”.
According to the police, the suspect subsequently led operatives to the group’s hideout, where four other suspected cultists were arrested.
The other suspects were identified as Tanko Yusuf, 23; Ahmed Abibu, 24; Abubakar Shafi, 23; and Fatai Mohammed, 25.
The Lagos State Police Command said the principal suspect confessed to being a member of the Aiye Confraternity and had provided investigators with useful information.
It added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang and conclude investigations ahead of prosecution.
During a search of the hideout, operatives recovered one battle axe, one UTC knife, two other knives, one hammer, substances suspected to be Indian hemp, items believed to be criminal charms and other exhibits.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, warned cultists and other criminal elements operating in the state to renounce their activities or face the full weight of the law.
He stressed that there was no hiding place for cultists in Lagos, reiterating the command’s commitment to identifying, arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in cult-related violence and other criminal activities.
The police commissioner also assured residents that the command would sustain intelligence-led operations across the state until cultism and other violent crimes were decisively curtailed.
He urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the police, assuring them that all reports would be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
